Help Your Students Develop Posive Habits

Most students likely connect the term “habits” to their study habits. In fact, for many students the term “study habits” probably gives the noonofhabitsanegavevibe But there is another type of habit that is important for the well-being and posive growth of students: habits that build their character strengths, such as paence, gratude, and service to others. For example, the habit cue that helps students pracce paence before spontaneously sending that angry tweet, or a daily habit of wring down what they are grateful for I call these “posive habits.”

As a researcher and president of cityvibesindia.com, I want to make the case that every child and teen, beforegraduangfromelementary school, middle school, or high school, should be able to demonstrate and explain how they have formed and consistently pracce a posive habit—especially one they intrinsicallywanttodevelop. Posive habits help students achieve the “character goals” they have set for themselves, such as being a person of integrity or someone who strives to be kind and helpful to others. It is difficult for me to imagine any student becoming their best possible self withoutdevelopingawiderangeof posivehabits.

As a starng point, here are five concepts to teach students about habits that will help them build producve skills and meaningful praccesintotheirlives.

1.Youareyourhabits

The research is clear: 40-50% of all ouraconsaredoneoutof

Our challenge as educators is to encourage students to understand that their habits shape who they are and the sort of person they want to become. For example, for many years one of my children handed in assignments that were filled with errors because he had not yet developed the posive habit of checking his homework before handing it in. Only later in life did he learn the wisdom of praccingthecharacterstrengthof carefulness.

James Clear, author of 'Atomic Habits', hit the mark when he suggested that the best way to change who you are is to change whatyoudo.

2.Howweformhabits

Most students learn about Newton'sthreelawsofmoonineighth grade. But I can't seem to find any curriculum in the United States where eighth graders learn about the science of habit formaon. But theyshould. Every student should learn about the “habit loop” Whether it's a good or bad habit, the mechanics ofahabitarethesame: Cue>Craving>Response>Reward Cues spark our habits, and our craving deliversthereward (the desired thought or acon that gives us relief from the craving). In short, we are sll capves to our “lizard brain.” We remain creatures whocraveinstantgraficaon. This process is fairly straight forward for everyday habits: For example, when a student comes homefromschool(cue),theymight experience a spike in dopamine as they start looking for a snack (craving), and then indulge (response)inthesalty,crunchyreward of a bag of potato chips. Here's what the habit loop might look like foraposivehabit:Everydaywhen a student comes home from school, she calls her grandmother to find out how she is feeling Hearing the cheerfulness in her grandmother's voice is the student'sposivereward.

Researchers are also beginning to discover that habits persist even when we don't value the reward as muchasweoncedid(orevenwhen the reward is no longer available). That's good news for those of us who believe in the power of posive habits Aer consistently praccing these habits, they becomepartofouridenty

3. Stable cues are the key to formingaposivehabit

Here's the one indispensable “habit principle” I'd want students to learn and pracce: Create cue X, foraconY Forexample,imaginea student has decided they want to learn how to play the guitar (the acon) right aer they finish their homework (the cue). The key to creangthisnewhabitorrouneis for the student to repeat this acvity every day—as soon as they finishstudying.

Other stable cues might include wakinguporgoingtobed,brushing teeth,oreangmeals—anyacons thathappenregularlythatstudents canaachahabitto.